People invest in smart devices for all sorts of reasons. But one or two smart devices does not constitute a smart home. If you are going to invest in a legitimate smart home, you’re going to be investing in a lot of devices designed to do a lot of different things. But why do it? One of the main arguments in favor of the smart home concept is convenience.
Simply put, a smart home is supposed to make a homeowner’s life more convenient. But does it? That depends on who you ask. Someone brand-new to the whole thing may argue against convenience simply because the learning curve is so steep. But a company like Vivint Smart Home would argue in favor of convenience. That is because they know what their systems are capable of.
Vivint recently published a post discussing smart homes and convenience. They described a number of scenarios in which having smart devices at your beck and call does make life more convenient. Below are just a few of them.
Programming the Thermostat
Being able to program your thermostat is not a new concept. Programmable thermostats have been around for decades. Yet a smart thermostat goes above and beyond simple programming. You can program different thermostat settings based on all sorts of scenarios.
Create one program for managing the heat during the winter. Create another to control the air conditioning in summer. Create yet another program for your annual vacations. You can create an endless number of programs that can be initiated with a mobile app. And if your thermostat is a high-end model, it might even be able to learn your routine and adjust itself accordingly. You will enjoy the convenience of never having to touch it again.
Remotely Accessing Locks
The next example is the convenience you enjoy with expanded access to your locks. By installing a smart lock on the front door, you can access it without using your key. Most of the time, this means using a numerical keypad. But that is not your only option. You can also unlock and lock the door with your smartphone.
How does that make life more convenient? By giving you the opportunity to unlock the door with the swipe of a finger as you pull into the driveway. Exit the car and walk right in. No hassles whatsoever. And by the way, you can also unlock the door from work. Why do that? So that you don’t have to leave a key under the mat when you know you’ll have guests arriving.
Controlling the Garage Door
A third example cited by Vivint is controlling the garage door remotely. Right now, you may have to walk out to the garage at the end of the day because you are not sure if the kids closed the door when they brought their bikes inside. With a smart garage door controller, this is not an issue.
The controller will alert you to the fact that the door was left open. With your smartphone or a central automation hub, you can close the door without having to walk to the garage. That is pretty great when you’re home. It’s even better when you are not home. With a garage door controller, you never have to worry about forgetting the door again.
A strong case can be made that smart homes make life more convenient. But then again, there is always the matter of personal perspective. Some people do not find technology more convenient; they find it more difficult to use. But that’s okay, we all get to make our own choices.